Mockingbird
by Ottertale
Summary: Tim Drake disappears on a mission, on his return he experiences blackouts and becomes more aggressive toward the titans. Two weeks from his disappearance he is kidnapped by a new supervillain, Mockingbird. Mockingbird slams Batman with an ultimatum and for every week it goes unfulfilled he will take the life of one of his birds starting with Tim Drake.
1. Chapter 1

"Chicken," clucked Garr. Tim let the insult roll off him he had been called much worse.

"Come-on, it's basically a tradition," egged on Bart speeding in between Tim and the exit to the sparring room.

"That's right! Batman took on the Justice League. Nightwing took on the Titans. He beat everyone but Superboy. Even Jason handed us our asses after he came back," begged Garr underlining his point by turning into said bird and hopping around ruffling his feathers and chirping.

"That would be pointless. I have a lot to do and I am not Batman or Nightwing and I am not stupid." Tim's lips twitched ever so slightly. He sighed to himself he really needed to sleep. He hadn't slept in four days due to the Deathstroke case and he was starting to slide into the dangerous zone of sleep deprivation if he thought that joke was funny. He would get some sleep like he had promised Dick once he checked if the blood sample was finished analyzing. "I have other more important things to do. And besides I know I will not defeat most of the team in a battle of strength that is why I use other tactics in the field for victory. It would be pointless to start a fight in an area I know that I have a disadvantage." There was no bitterness in Tim's voice, it was matter of fact, which, seemed to confuse immature Garr who had had most of his dealing with Nightwing and Batman who would undergo torture before admitting a weakness. More footsteps sounded as Wondergirl, Superboy, Spolier and Blue Beetle entered.

"He just knows he would loose and doesn't want to blemish the reputation of the bats with his failure, Amigo," interjected Beetle coming to stop beside Bart arms crossed. Honestly, Tim was too tired to be bother by the challenge and he had become use to such comments from a certain little brat that the words barely registrar through his pounding headache. He was about to dismiss himself and leave the children to bicker. When Cassie spoke up,

"Tim's not fighting anyone, we don't want him to get hur—" she trained off as he saw the spark catch in Tim's steel blue eyes. Challenge accepted they said. Cass inwardly groaned why hadn't she kept her mouth shut. Outwardly a smirk appeared on Tim's lips. Inwardly Tim was screaming for help. He watched himself barrel-roll and land in the sparing ring but it was like someone else someone more aggressive was controlling his actions. The world seemed to slow around him allowing him to take in details; from Cass dismay to the mischievous grin that broke over Steph's face. They moved painfully slowly to Tim. _Is this how Speedsters see the world?_ His head throbbed. This is more serious then sleep deprivation. _What is happening to me?_ The logical Tim thing to do would to be to excuse himself and run tests.

"Red Robin clearance Alpha authorization code MC," snapped Tim. The room vibrated as the surround sound speakers began to blast music. _Wow, this is so not me,_ Tim cringed inwardly. Playing music during combat was a Dick move. Cassie seemed to find his behavior strange as well because her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Dude," Bart exclaimed "No one ever told me we had speakers in here. I thought Batman vetoed music in the training room."

"Batman also vetoed Netflix on the batcomputer and bumper stickers on the batmobile but that didn't stop Nightwing. I'll fight Conner first hopefully after that maybe you will leave me alone, but anyone else is welcome to try," growled Tim. Everyone started talking at once.

"Really? but I was the one Nightwing didn't beat," protested Conner taking a step back looking doubtful.

"Ten bucks says Superboy wins," piped up Gar looking excited.

"I call kicking his butt next." Beamed Steph.

"Tim, are you feeling ok?" Cassie asked eyes searching Tim's face. _No._ Tim wanted to say but the word would not pass his lips. Cassie's frown deepened as Superboy moved forward to face Tim. Tim beckoned a feral smile twisting his lips. It wasn't that Tim never smiled so much as on a scale of Batman to Nightwing Tim emotional lock down was closer to the Batman end of the spectrum. Cassie watched intently as Superboy lunged and Tim easily sidestepped the smile never leaving his face. What on earth was Tim up too? It wasn't that Cassie doubted the boy wonder's skill but he was only human and very breakable. A knockout for her or superboy would be fatal for Robin. Cassie had no illusions that if she lost her power or for that matter if the majority of the team lost their powers they would be able to continue, making what any of the batclan did that much more impressive. But Tim wasn't Jason he didn't pick fights he couldn't win. That is why he chose normally to work remotely. It was kind of scary sometimes to see Tim single handily shut down villains before the fight even began. Superboy threw a punch and Cassie tensed ready to fly forward and take the blow if it looked like Tim was in danger. But the blow never connected. Tim had grab Conner's arm and using the clones own momentum to pull him forward and down at the same time. His foot shot out at an incredible speed sweeping both Conner's legs out from under him.

Smack. The room was silent the bird boy had just taken out the super boy in five seconds flat. Gar passed a ten dollar bill to Spoiler who grinned.

"I'm next!" Steph piped up pocketing the bill. Cassie inwardly groaned the girl obviously new she wasn't going to win at least Cassie didn't have to worry about Tim safety. Steph had no powers either and wasn't as well trained. She wasn't entire sure why she was here either since she was pretty sure Batman had told her to get lost. But the girl had done what few were tough enough to do she had ignored Batman, which, if Cassie was being honest was pretty much the job description of a Robin. What had made Cassie groan was the plea for Tim attention that Steph seemed to exude at every opportunity. It was oblivious to everyone but Tim that the girl had a massive crush on him. Which, didn't bother Cassie at all she reminded herself, sternly. Wondergirl glanced back to the fight, as expected Tim had already pinned Steph's arm behind her back and had her body pressed against his so she couldn't escape. Despite the fact Steph had lost the spar in record time, she didn't look displease with the situation at all _. I should have offered to fight him_. Cassie was horrified with the thought second she had thought it. _I am suppose to be leading an elite team not a highschool musical._ The fight was over. Tim drop his hold on Steph who had the self-respect to hide her grin as she turn to face him. Cassie gritted her teeth as Steph gave Tim a playful push to the chest with her palm. What happened next was so unexpected that even Bart didn't have time to react. Tim gasped stumbling backward, his knees bucking. Cassie watched in horror as Tim collapsed to the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

The first think Tim noticed was the pain that radiated from his chest like some great burn. The second thing was that the back of his head hurt.

"He's breathing."

"Should we call Batman?"

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt him!"

"Steph, whatever happened wasn't your fault Tim has taken far worse hits than that. No, it must have triggered something? A previous injury?" The voices were load in his ears like sirens and he gave an involuntary groan, screwing his eyes shut.

"Tim! Can you hear me? Tim please open your eyes and talk to us," begged Cassie's voice from above him. Tim forced his eyes open despite the harshness of the light on his retinas.

"Cassie, what happened? I'm guessing Conner won," he managed to croak out. But Cassie looked even more concerned after hearing him speak.

"Uh Dude, you beat Superboy and then fought Spoiler. How hard did you hit your head?" offered Bart. From the way the edges of the training room and the faces of his teammates seemed to tilt and spin he was guessing pretty hard but he had a sinking feeling that the concussion was the least of his problems and not the source of his blackout. He had thought he would have more time but it was progressing faster than anticipated. He needed to get back to work. There was still so much he had to do. He pushed himself up on one elbow and bile rose in his throat. He felt like that time Jason had spiked his energy drink with alcohol. Dick had been furious and made Jason stay with Tim all night to make sure there were no dangerous side effects. A supporting hand on his back helped him sit up.

"Tim, talk to me what wrong? You're scaring us." Tim couldn't answer he was having trouble pulling in oxygen and was using the rest of his concentration to hide the rattle. Even Batman's training was no match for krytonian hearing through.

"Cassie, he's having trouble breathing," spoke up Conner. Before Tim could stop them someone had told Cassie to make him lie flat to open his airway and for the second time that day a hand connected with his chest making the world go white with pain. His body convulse at the touch. Cassie face went sheet white in fear at the response. Gar took a nervous step back feeling scared and filled with guilt that he had pushed Robin to fight. Cassie, however, wasn't coleader for nothing she handled pressure like an Atlantean.

"Conner hold him down don't let him hurt himself," she snapped. "And someone get Batman on a line I don't care if he is fighting Doomsday." A hand wrapped around her wrist stopping her orders as she glanced down at the black Kevlar enforced glove that that encircled her wrist band.

"NO!" Tim voice was clear even through gritted teeth. "No, Batman."

"Tim," began Cassie.

"No!"

"Fine, everyone out now," growled Cassie giving Conner a look that clearly read: call Batman, out of Tim's view. Out of her sight Tim fist clenched which to anyone would look like a spasm of pain but the motion had allowed him to press a button on the inside of wrist computer that would reroute all of the batcave's calls to his personal computer. What Bruce didn't know wouldn't cause Tim problems.

"I'm not leaving," protested Steph "until I know he's alright."

If Steph had a superpower it was that she didn't let anyone push her around. Everyone else had scattered under Cassie's gaze and she didn't want to waste time arguing with Steph so she let her stay.

"Spill, I know you found some way to block calls to the batcave but if you don't start talking I will personally fly to Dick's apartment carrying you over my shoulder." Tim shallowed it was not an idle threat. Tim rolled to his knees. The crippling pain fading slightly replaced with a slight burning sensation.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"Bathroom." He made a pained expression. Cassie relented helping him up by throwing his arm over her shoulder. She helped him stagger toward the restrooms.

"Does this have anything to do with your four day disappearance?" Tim nodded but didn't elaborate. Cassie let it slide since Tim was looking a little green. He leaned forward grabbing the sink for support before asking the girls to give him a moment. He slammed the door before they could protest.

"You have five minutes before I kick this door down so do your business quickly," Cassie voice came slightly muffled through the door. Tim ignored her making the most of his time he turned toward the mirror and slipped his fingers under his collar to press the release switch on his armor. Tim started pulling his tunic off reveling finely toned muscles covered in scars. He grimaced at the sight but it wasn't the scars that bothered him he had long become use to the sight and he had nothing to complain about compared to Bruce or Jason for that matter. But spreading out from a spot directly over Tim's heart was what could only be described as black veins radiated outward, tracing his collar bone and running over his abs. He was out of time it was spreading faster than calculated. Three weeks left at most judging by the spread rate. The running timer in his head told him he still had two minutes before he lost his privacy. The fabric of his tunic scratched painfully across his chest as it was pulled down.

Cassie listen careful superhearing had it perks but she tried to avoid it around restrooms normally. But at the moment she hadn't heard any water running or footsteps leading away from in front of the sink. So when she ripped the door off its hinges a minute early she didn't feel guilty. It was hard to catch any bat off guard especially Tim. Dick and Jason tended to let their guard down more often the former because he trusted more easily belonging to a happier age. The ladder normally because he was intoxicated and couldn't give a #$&!. In other words Tim must not really be feeling well if he had thought Cassie would let him have his privacy after basically having a seizure.

"Cassie!" Tim protested hurriedly snapping his chest plate back on but Cassie had had enough. He had obviously just been checking something under it. Boy, would this be easier if she had Conner's x-ray vison. The Kevlar crushed like foam under her fingers using combined superspeed and strength she managed to tare it off him without putting any pressure on his chest. She only bushed slightly as she grabbed the bottom of his red dry fit shirt, fingers brushing skin, and yacked it up. Tim stopped struggling once he realized his secret was out.

"Hera," cursed Cassie gaze raking in the poison that marked her friend. "How long?"

"Fine, but this doesn't leave this room," said Tim locking his eyes on each of them until they nodded in agreement. "Since my disappearance." That wasn't what Cassie had meant by the question but she took the answer since she wasn't sure she was ready for the other.

"You should have said something. We can help. You have friends, that is what we are here for. And what in Zeus name were you thinking continuing on active duty or fighting superboy in this state? How on earth are we supposed to teach a new generation of heroes when you can't even admit when you are in over your head!" ranted Cassie. Her other hand that was not the one holding Tim's shirt had been pressed into the tile beside his head. Crack! The tile crumbled beneath her rage. She quickly released Tim taking a step back not wanting to cause any more damage. That is why it was Step who notice Tim sway and quickly stepped forward placing one arm around his waist and pulling his arm over her shoulder. Taking a deep breath Tim eye's meant Cassie's.

"You're right, I need help just not Batman's."

"Then who?" asked Steph gently.

"Call Bart back."


	3. Chapter 3

Tim felt uneasy at titan tower for the next two days. The sky scraping T shaped tower with it brightly lit training rooms, fully stocked kitchens, and never empty game rooms made him uncomfortable. The other titans like Beast Boy and Wonder Girl joked and tease lightheartedly. It was the contrast that bothered him. The titans pointed out everything that was wrong with his home, his family. A small voice reminded him that their world was different. Their powers made the job easier. They didn't have to worry about stray rumble that could crush him. Didn't need to be in peak condition simply to scale a building.

The lights in the hall flickered out. Then the dim glow of the red emergency lights flicker on.

"Security breach, security breach, security breach," wined the system. Tim's hand flew to his ear piece.

"Wondergirl, report," ordered Tim already rushing towards where he had last saw the rest of his team.

"Two female hostiles. Never seen them before. One with powers the other without as far as I can tell, Beast Boy is down," huffed Cassie through the comm as she engaged in combat.

White smoke billowed into the entrance hall as Robin tossed his smoke pellet. In the split second before the room clouded he caught sight of his opponents. The first woman was clad in white leather from head to toe. She cracked a bull whip expertly snapping Speedy's bow. The second hovered feet off the ground propelled by a seven foot feathered wing span. Cat ears and a tail showed from both of the costume women but the second woman wore royal blue spandex. She seemed to be locked in an invisible struggle with M'gann. Batarangs flew true towards the winged attacker but bounced harmlessly off some sort of force field. They hit the ground with a metallic clang. Red Robin launched himself into a handspring landing in a couch in front of the woman in white. He brought is razor edged cape up slashing at the hand that held the bullwhip. But the woman was incredibly fast and slightly taller than Robin her leg shot out knocking both of his out from under him. Next thing Wondergirl saw was the woman with her heel pressed to Tim's throat. Cassie tried not to think about how little pressure it would take to crush the boy wonder's airway. The woman's lips moved as she said something to Robin but Cassie was too far to hear. Cassie poured on the speed as she flew to her Robin's rescue. Once she got him to herself they were going to revisit the subject of who was the brawn on the team and who was the brains. She was close enough to hear what they were saying now. Her fist clenched as she swung her fist back bracing for impact. She was going to enjoy watching the woman in white make a wall angel.

"You sure I can't change your mind?" spoke the woman as she pinned the struggling bird.

"No, I will do whatever it takes," spat Tim struggling to get the words passed his partly compressed airway.

"Then you leave me no choice," the white boot connected with the side of Tim's head making him see stars. Cassie growled tackling Tim's attacker but she never made contact. The two invaders had teleported out of the Titan's Tower taking Tim with them.


	4. Chapter 4

Jason held his breath. The tread of light feet on concrete drew closer to his shadowy hiding spot. The small green and red laced combat boots poked into his field of vison. _& %!& _ cursed Jason silently, what had he ever done to the universe to deserve this run of bad luck. Sure he had killed a few hundred people but come on! They had barely been human, crime lords, war lords, and murders. Did taking their live mien he deserved to have abusive parents, a mother that OD leaving her nine year old son to fend for himself in Gotham underbelly. Or being pressed into becoming a child solider for a pointy eared mad man? Or beaten to death with a crowbar then blown up. It would have been a tragedy if it had ended there but no the universe hadn't punished him enough. No he had been resurrected in his coffin. His body gave an involuntary shutter at the memory of the suffocating dirt pouring into his face as he clawed his way back. Pit fever, from his resurrection, while not totally gone know, had been totally overpowering at the beginning causing him to hurt his family and friends. Even now he avoided looking in the mirror incase his eyes might have shifted from their sea blue to the poison green that came with the fever. The worst part was that if his killing spree had merely been a symptom of his pit syndrome Bruce might have forgiven him. But he had made a conscious choice to stop the horrors that had ruined his life from destroying others, permanently, whether or not the universe or Batman agreed with him. But did the universe really need to drop the Demon Brat in on his mission? Couldn't he catch one break?

"Hey Hood? What's up?" came a cheery voice from above Jason's head. The voice didn't belong in the mirk and dirt of Gotham's city. It sounded like it belonged in a world of sunshine and daisy and it made Jason want to gag.

Hood's fingers flew to the cool metal of his full holster. But he didn't draw…yet. _Thanks universe_ Jason growled in his head. He glared, inside his mask, up at the perfect grin of the golden boy.

Nightwing hung upside down above the red masked anti-hero. Most of his body was hidden in the shadow his black spandex costume camouflaging him into the night but his infectious smile like a crescent moon and the blue symbol that ran from fingertip to fingertip across his chest like some bird with blue feathers glowed in the darkness.

"I assume chasing the Joker like you. Are you going try and send me back to Arkham on dear batdaddy orders?" asked Jason his voice low and gruff. He tensed every muscle ready for a fight as Dick flipped to the ground beside him landing in a light crouch. While Jason would never admit it he envied the older bird's natural grace, out of all the birds and the bat himself, when Nightwing patrol over the streets he truly seemed to fly.

"Rather spend time doing something productive. Batman won't even know you were here. Truce?" Dick grinned up at his younger brother. Hoping the olive branch would not be burned.

"Look like daddy's favorite is leaving the nest." Shrugged Jason accepting the peace offering.

"I was the first to rebel. That's how you got the job," said Nightwing not missing a beat.

"Nightwing, should not be consorting with criminal trash. You will beg for mercy Todd!" The four foot goblin made of rage launch at Jason in a bundle of red and green. Damian Wayne slashed his batrangs like knives. If Hood had been a common thug he would be down. But Jason had been trained by both of Damian parents, the batman and the daughter of the demon, a fact that Damian didn't like to point out. But it wasn't his training that let him best the brat. No much to Damian dismay it was the height advantage. Being the tallest of the birds, out growing the whip like Nightwing, it was not problem for Jason to deftly snag the batbrat's hood holding him at arm's length a foot off the ground. Damian's steel slashed harmlessly in the air inches away from Jason's Kevlar protected stomach.

"Nice to see you too, Replacement's replacement," quipped Jason. Nightwing wasn't too concerned about the spat between the two more volatile robins. He prided himself in judging the body language of his brothers. Jason stood mostly relaxed not the tense muscles that might point to the murderous rage brought on by the poison that had brought him back from the dead. He also knew that if his baby Bruce really wanted to hurt Jay he could have broken Hood's hand by now. It was clear to Dick that Damian overestimated his own abilities when it came to his brothers. While the eleven year old was certainly deadly, for his age, and could best most full grown men, Dick new for a fact that no matter what Damian like to say, or believe, every single one of the previous Robins could still handle the newest member of the flock, with varying degrees of difficulty. One day, maybe, once he was full grown that might change but for the moment the only thing big about Damian was his ego. If it came to a fight between Hood and Damian, it would be Dick who would need to save Damian hide. Luckily for them Jay seemed to be on his best behavior and was humoring the little demon.

"Robin, stand down," ordered Nightwing "We have bigger birds to fry."

"Tt," hurrmpted Damian but to his credit he stopped struggling and sheathed his batarang. He hung from his black and gold hood looking like a grumpy kitten hanging from its scruff. Jay dropped the boy lightly on his feet once he was sure the claws had been sheathed.

Dick stumbled slightly as the warehouse roof rocked beneath his feet. The sound of explosions burst through the night.

"Hood, what did you do?"

"My best," said Hood grinning, madly beneath his mask, as he leapt toward the sounds of the explosions. It was his heart that gave away his fear as it beat madly against his rib cage.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello dear readers!**

 **So I have been a writer on Wattpad for a few years and just been enjoying reading here on fanfiction. I just decided to try posting here for the first time and might I say...wow! Already ~150 views in one day! And a review! Thank you Shejam! It means so much to me! This story was on wattpad for six months and only has 200 views and no comments or reviews. Here is some more. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!**

 **PS. I only own the story all character belong to DC comics.**

Jason tried to ignore his overly flippy brother as his fist connected with the face of a thug. It was unnatural the amount of time Dick managed to stay in the air. None of the other Robins or bats could fly like the first. If Jason didn't know better he would say his happy light footed oldest brother belonged to the superfamily not the grim men that made up the batclan. A roundhouse kick connected with a satisfying thunk. Jason own fighting style was more brutal but effective. While his style would never be called graceful like Nightwing's, he wasn't willing to create the openings for his enemies. He had died once and wasn't keen to repeat the experience.

Dick soared over the heads of two thugs. His blue tipped hands grasped the back of the jackets of the earthbound men and with herculean strength landed, throwing the two men into the nearest brick wall. Dick glanced over at the sound of gun fire. Bruce wouldn't be happy but Dick was more concerned with stopping the Joker than enforcing Bruce strict no firearms policy. Beside Dick honestly rather spend the time fighting villains than his brother. After all they were shooting the innocent while, Jason would never admit it, he would only hurt the predators that preyed on the weak. Underneath the hard exterior Dick knew Jason had a good heart. Even if Bruce couldn't see it anymore, that was why Bruce had chosen Jason to be Robin in the first place.

Damian wasn't going to let the inferior robins ruin his mission. He would detain the madman himself and then when Father praised him for his accomplishments he would report Grayson and Todd misbehavior. Damian drove cold steel into the soft flesh of his much bigger opponent. Grayson would be please; the man would live. It had taken some time to change his assassin training enough to leave his opponents alive but still allow him to use his weapons of choice — anything sharp and pointy. He preferred katanas but it was hard to leap off building carrying the three foot bade on his back. Damian had the door lock cracked in less than three minutes it made a satisfying click.

"Wait for us," ordered Nightwing renewing his effort to free himself from the hoard of thugs he was battling.

"Kid, he'll kill you," yelled Red Hood at Damian's retreating back. Damian was surprised to hear the note of panic in Hood's voice. Hum, thought Damian he wasn't the weak kid Todd was when he had died at the Joker's hands. His brother voice's and the sounds of battle faded as the darkness of the warehouse engulfed him. Damian smiled the clown had made a mistake if he thought to surprise him in the darkness. Damian shrugged causing his cape to fall in drapes around his front hiding the yellow in midnight. Pulling his hood up he seemed to fade into the shadows. Damian was not afraid of the dark; he was born to it. The warehouse was cold and even with his insolated armored suit it raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

"Ha, HA, HA, Ha, ha." The manically laughter filled the warehouse. Damian slipped from shadow to shadow toward the source. He could hear two pairs of foot beats following him. His foot suddenly slipped in dark pool of liquid on the concrete. _Blood_. He quickly collected a sample to run in his wrist computer before continuing. Five minutes later, Jason and Dick had caught up to Damian and they had found the source of the laughter.

"Where is the son of a? #*&!" asked Jason his eyes, beneath his mask, flashed green.

"He's not here, genius" answered Damian "someone left a recording device." The device gave out one last laugh before Jason biker boot connected.

"Hood, that was evidence," protested Nightwing, weakly

"Sue me," spat Jason. Nightwing frowned but put a hand to his ear piece no longer listening to Jason

"Nightwing here, what have you found?" Nightwing's frown deepened as he listened.

"What did Batman say?" asked Robin as Nightwing turned back to them.

"He said that the reports on the Joker break out were falsified he has been in Arkham this whole time,"

"Then who the !*&% set this up?" growled Jason a mixture of disappointment and relief waring inside him.

While the older Robins debated Damian had noticed a piece of fabric that lay to the side of where he had found the recording device. It was half in half out of one of the small pools of blood. He picked it up and flipped it over and let out a small gasp. In his hand was a very stylized yellow R on a red background. Jason cursed again at the sight and Dick to Damian surprise joined him. Alfred was going to have to buy more soap.

"100% match found," beeped his wrist computer. Damian had nearly forgotten about the blood sample he had run. A sense of dread filled him as he flipped his wrist to see the name displayed there. The speed and percent of the analysis was too fast. It would have to be someone they were familiar with someone whose blood had previously been run through the batcomputer data banks _. Please don't be Father or Grayson_ Damian thought in silent prayer. The digital screen spelled out in green letters: Tim Drake.


	6. Chapter 6

The plan was so perfect the bats would never suspect. He leans back in his chair the folds of his black cape drape around him making him blend into the darkness of the lair. He was only illuminated by the glow form the computer screen. A smile lifts the edges of his lips as he watches from his hidden camera as Nightwing passes the Robin symbol to Red Hood who crushes it in his fist. There is a click as he tapped a button to switch camera revealing; the Batcave looking out at batman's pointy ears pulled back as he talks to an old English butler.

"How's the World's Greatest Detective doing?" said a woman's voice from behind him. The man doesn't turn from observing Batman as the woman pulls off the white cat-eared mask revealing short cropped midnight hair and emerald green eyes. She steps over leaning on the back of the man's chair.

"Bruce is not yet suspicious or even alerted to the threat but I give him 5 to 10 minutes before that changes," he answers.

"I wasn't asking about the Bat, honey, I asked about the World's Greatest Detective? How are you?"

"Prepare the camera and put your mask back on it time for contact."


	7. Chapter 7

**Warning: Violence and character death don't read if these bother you.**

"Batman." It was a testament to Batman's self-control that he didn't jump as the batcomputer spoke as a video call sprang to life. The voice was clearly modified with a voice adapter much like his own cowl. The man wore a cowl as well but it covered his entire face, there was no exposed skin. The cowl was covered in red feathers, a hooked beak and two fake enormous golden eyes covered the real eye slits.

"How did you hack this channel," Batman growled at the screen. The bird head tilted slightly before responding.

"I know you Bruce." Bruce wasn't surprised that the speaker knew his name if he had already managed to hack the batcomputer. "You don't know me. I am the Mockingbird. And if you wish to see your lost bird again you will do exactly as I say. Listen carefully. Unclip the wings that have been snipped. Bring home the lost soul. Love the assassin. And speak my true name. You have two weeks. Before the next bird dies."

Bruce knuckles turned white his fist clenched as the screen went dark then returned focusing on a new figure. Red Robin was tied to a chair head down so Bruce couldn't see his face. But what he could see sent his heart hammering. His cape and costume looked like they had gone through a paper shredder. The gold belts that chriss-crossed his chest were stained an ominous red. Bruce couldn't see the source of the blood and he suddenly wished Robin's costume didn't hide wounds so well. A woman whose wings made her resemble a tamergerian stepped up behind Tim. She grabbed a hand full of his black hair yanking back his head. Bruce swore under his breath. Half of his red domino mask was missing revealing the intense blue grey eye beneath that was usually hidden by its white lens. But it was the blood that dripped from a cut on his temple and covered one half of his face that made Bruce swear. The woman behind Tim pressed a metal crowbar against the boy's throat. Bruce could hear heavy breathing suddenly he realized it was his own. And he wasn't looking at Tim he was seeing a different day, a different Robin in a yellow cape…NO, Never again. This is Tim not Jason there is still time. He must save him. For a moment Tim's blue eye seems to focus on Bruce. There is no fear or hatred there. No blame just calm acceptance. _It all going to be fine_ he seems to say. That when the crowbar is forced through his chest from behind. Bruce's heart feels like it had stopped with Tim's. His knees collapse beneath him as Tim's body goes limp in the woman grasp. The image goes dark again then changes back to Mockingbird.

"Two weeks, Bruce. Speak my name at my house. And you won't lose another Bird."

Bruce only had one way to handle grief. He became the Batman. Batman was the night. He was cold, hard, uncaring justice. Batman didn't cry so he hadn't removed the mask since he gotten that call two days ago because once he did he was sure the man beneath would dissolve into a useless puddle. Which would leave his remaining sons in danger and that couldn't happen.

"Nightwing," growled Batman as he heard the softest scuff of boots on stone behind him. He would never admit it but he was sure the only person capable of sneaking up on the Batman was Nightwing. His firstborn was incredible light on his feet. The scuff had been Nightwing warning him of his approach as not to startle the Dark Knight. Something also unique to Nightwing, he was the only one of the batfamily polite enough to give a warning of his approach, to his friends.

"Any leads on Tim?" Nightwing's voice was raw from crying making Bruce wish he knew how to comfort him but he couldn't deal with his own grief, he didn't know how to help anyone else. He hadn't shown Dick the recording yet. He had hoped to find it faked but … it was time.

"Dick, there is something you need to see," he hated how his voice was rough and seemingly uncaring. He stood to let Dick sit before the batcomputer confusion and fear written on his face. He had always been good at reading people and he could tell the thing he was about to see was causing his mentor pain. In any other circumstance Bruce would have scowled Dick for expressing his emotions so plainly. Dick had always worn his heart on his sleeve a trait that decreased with each Robin. Bruce didn't know what that said about his parenting skills. Dick was the least able to hide from the pain but Damian was an eleven year old who could face murder with a shrug. He did worry for the mental stability of his youngest. As he pressed play he turned to leave he couldn't bare to watch it again.

"Dick, I know you will tell Damian but please… don't make him watch the video."

After watching the video Dick sat pulling his knees to his chest. Entire body shaking with sobs. He had the sudden urge to flee the cold dark empty cave, flee the evil insane corrupt Gotham and run to the Titan's where he wouldn't be alone. He was halfway to his motorcycle when a thought pulled him back. Damian. He couldn't leave Damian to Bruce's wraith and vengeance. The poor kid never had a childhood to begin with. If Dick left Damian would lose any emotional support. Then there was Jason. Someone had to warn him about Mockingbird's threats. Dick knew Bruce well enough that his idea of keeping his rogue son safe would look like the inside of a padded room. Jason was the most vulnerable Robin since he was on his own and didn't have the luxury that came with a billionaire backing your operations.


	8. Chapter 8

**Dear Readers! Thanks for keeping with this story! All comments and criticisms are welcome! They let me know people care enough to read this story and I will try to improve, if like the majority of the time, it is good advice.**

Damian glared his large green stared unblinking in challenge at his opponent. The pair of yellow eyes glared back unphased by dark apprentice's challenge. Damian lay on his stomach, chin resting on the polished marble floor of Wayne major. The stone felt cool against his cheek as he tilted his head to the side not removing his gaze. Normally, Damian would not be caught dead in such an undignified position after all he was Robin the Son of Batman and Prince to the Demon Head but Pennyworth would never allow a dust particle besides his opponent didn't care if he was Bruce Wayne's heir or that he was Robin or that he was a 12 year old murder with no friends.

His opponent gave away his attack with a tell-tale butt wiggle. The ball of fluff lunched itself at Damian in a gravity defining leap landing on his hands with all four tiny paws. The claws were sheathed though and Damian decided he like the kitten. The kitten was smart, independent, and graceful (most of the time) and he trusted Damian when few did. He jerked his hoodies string. The kitten reared up on his hind legs and came crashing down, tiny daggers pulling green threads loose. Pennyworth would not be pleased. But Damian was **bored** and the kitten was the first being to pay attention to him since the night that Drake had been declared missing. Well, Pennyworth still fed him but the only time he saw father was when he tried to break out from house arrest. Robin had been grounded. Even the locks on the batcave had been changed. Not that would stop him for long but he knew Father could find other ways to keep him here if he wanted.

"Tt," he grouched.

"Mew," the kitten replied. It was not usually for Father to not speak to him for weeks at a time. Damian hardly saw him whenever there was a hardcase to crack. However, for Grayson to do the same made Damian want to cr—. Damian rubbed his nose angrily. He had never felt this alone since he had ran from the league. There had always at least been Drake to annoy. Damian blinked rapidly glaring at the kitten but it was hard to stay angry as the downy black fur pushed against his palm.

"Ding Dong," the doorbell rang echoing through the empty house causing Damian to jump out of his thoughts and causing the kitten to go skittering way in a huff. Damian pushed himself to his feet. He knew Pennyworth would get the door of course. He was sure it must be part of Pennyworth moral code never to ignore the door but Damian was curious. The manor rarely had visitors outside what Father considered his extended family, he worked hard to keep it that way. Of course there were a few who never got the hint: mainly Kent, Kyle and a few high society gold-diggers. It wasn't as if Damian minded the lack of visitors after all he didn't have anyone to invite over anyway. He wondered if Grayson had been disappointed that he couldn't bring his friends over. When he was Damian age after all Grayson had as many friends as he had enemies.

The ring changed to a frantic pounding as someone slammed their fists against the front door of the manor, which, made Damian pick up his pace. He paused hidden in the shadows at the top of the stairs that overlooked the entrée to the manor. Peering through the slats in the railing he watched as Pennyworth pulled the door open a stern look on his face. But as the door swung open grey eyebrows raised in shock a gentlemen's equivalent to a horrified gasp. Coming from the guy who had kept a neutral face upon seeing his charge dress up as a giant bat and perhaps even more impressive a neutral face upon seeing Grayson original costume this was saying something. So when the door was shoved open from the outside Damian was prepared for the likes of the Joker. What he wasn't expecting was a middle age couple in tears. They wore designer clothes that had seen better days. They were crumbled as if they had been wearing the same thing for days. The man was rather short but still well built with thinning black hair and grey blue eyes. The woman was blond with brown eyes.

"I'm ssoorry… for barging in but…" sobbed the woman.

"Where is Mr. Wayne," snapped the man his eye were red and puffy. Pennyworth took a step back as the upset man invaded his personal space in his anger. The woman hovered

"Master Wayne is not here at the moment. But I would be happy to relay a message," said Pennyworth his voice perfectly calm.

"How can you work for that arrogant piece of shi—," He cut of abruptly as Damian landed in a crouch in front of him, having leapt from the railing.

"You will not speak of my Father in such a manner or you will regret it," stated Damian as he straightened from his crouch feet planted he glared up at the much bigger man. He hadn't been worried about Pennyworth safety after all the batfamily were all dangerous and Pennyworth being ex-MI6 was no exception but he could not let this stranger slander his family name.

"Master Damian, I believe you should return to your studies," reprimanded Pennyworth but it was too late. Alfred just hoped he could defuse the situation before Damian hurt him. The shock of the sudden appearance of the boy had worn off and the man sneered at Damian.

"I wonder how Wayne would react if his previous son went missing? Maybe he would feel our pain then. Maybe then he would tell us what happen to our son? What happened to our Tim?" The man voice broke on Tim name and the fight in his eyes seemed to die. Damian looked down at his toes his fist dropping to sides. He glanced back at Pennyworth not sure what the proper conduct was in this sort of situation but it look like Pennyworth was at a loss too.

A new arrival broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Mrs. and Mr. Drake, I'm Richard one of Bruce's adopted sons and a very close friend of Tim's, would you like to come in and sit down?" Damian spun around ready to give Grayson a lecture for ignoring him for the past couple days but the words died in his throat. Grayson look liked he had been run over by the batmobile. His long dark hair stuck up at odd angles and dark cycles like bruises outlined his once bright blue eyes. Now that Damian though about his appearances, it was quite similar to the Drakes and he was not the only one to notice Mrs. Drake red rimmed eyes softened the moment she took in the emotional and physical exhausted young man.

"Where is Mr. Wayne?" Mr. Drake tried again but there was little fire in the question. Grayson leaned against the wall eye closing as he spoke, hiding their bright blue that had been Damian light in the dark.

"Honestly, I have no idea. But wherever he is, he is avoiding his responsibilities," signed Grayson. Damian had never heard him sound so bitter against Father. Todd yelling insults at Father was as natural as breathing and Drake and Father had perfected the silent treatment. But Damian had never heard Grayson, the golden standard, sound so angry with Father.

Grayson collapsed onto the sofa when both Drakes had been seated in the large living room. For a moment Damian was worried he had passed out, which would not be the first time that one of his … brothers had done so. A week ago Drake had been up for four days straight he had been helping Dick on his wrist computer. Dick had asked a question but when he turned around Drake had been asleep.

Dick took a deep shuttering breath before speaking and he didn't lift his gaze from the carpet.

"I'm so…sorry…I don't know how to say this…I…" Grayson looked up his blue eyes shimmered like the sea and the Drakes paled visibly. "There was an accident. Tim…he was on his way back from a Wayne internship conference in Prague and…the plane went down." Mrs. Drake choked back a sob thinking of clever kind hearted boy that she loved as her own.

"No, no, no, no," said Mr. Drake burying his head in his hands. But the protest was more against the universe than Dick. Damian frowned confused. Why had Grayson chosen such a strange way to cover up Drake's disappearance. Claiming that Drake was dead would be hard to explain when they rescued him later. But Grayson was putting on a good show he must have been working on his acting since the last time Bruce scolded him for showing too much emotion. As the tear rolled unchecked down Grayson's cheeks it almost made Damian believe Drake was really gone. Damian let out a soft 'Tt' as the scene before him collapsed into a show of feelings the likes of which Wayne manor had not seen since the death of his Grandparent. As Mrs. Drake dragged Grayson into a hug. Damian fled not sure where his feet were taking him and Grayson didn't follow.

He paused outside Drake's room before roughly pushing the door in. They would find Drake and then Drake could yell at him for going into his room like usual. Damian sat on the bed glaring at Drake's stupid quantum mechanics books mixed with advanced medical journals that were piled on the side table. Damian had been sitting there for a while when a movement caught the corner of his eye. It was just a sudden flash, a normal person wouldn't have noticed but Damian was a bat.

"Whose there," growled Damian. But no one responded to the challenge. When he was just giving up and deciding it must have been an insect. He turned back to the bed. Laying atop the covers in a neat pile were two objects that had not been there before. Damian picked up the phone curiosity spiked when he saw the text message that had been left.

309 Crime Ally. Come Alone.

Damian picked up the second item running his thumb across the soft edge of the ruddy brown feather. A Robin feather.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Warning: Violence but the whole story is gory so if you got this far you have pretty much seen the worst of it._**

 _I don't care. I don't. Care._ thought Jason. His fist connected with the wall in punctuation. He cursed as his fist crushed the plaster of his crappy apartment. The image of the R in the pool of blood came unbidden to his mind and the ringing in his ear sounded like the horrid laughter. His breathing picked up but he couldn't get enough air. A phantom weight seemed to compress his chest.

 _Get a hold of yourself!_ Jason thought, _you're the bloody Red Hood you do what the Batman can't. The underworld fears you. You are not going to have a panic attack because of recorded laughter._ It had been all Jason could do not to cover his ears and shrink into a ball when he had heard that laughter a couple of days before. That could not be allowed to happen especial in front of the golden bird or demon brat. Dick already thinks I am emotional unstable and Damian would no longer show the needed respect. Jason had no doubt the level of respect for Hood in Robin's eye would go from grudging respect at his results to contempt.

His booted foot snapped out kicking his red helmet across the dirty tile floor. It not the Joker. The sick clown is still in the nuthouse. If it had been him, Jason's decision would be simple. The answer was an AK-47 and C-4. No, this was more complex. This was someone else, someone who knew of his death and the clown's involvement, someone who was skilled enough to take out the replac—Tim. Not an easy task despite what Jason and Damian often spouted.

So Jason shouldn't care right? It was outside his territory. The bats could handle this one. Rescue Tim save the day. Jason could go back to putting holes in crime-bosses. He shouldn't care what happened to his replacement. He kicked his helmet again. The problem was he did. He owed Tim big time. He had nearly killed the kid a few years ago for blame that rightfully belonged to the Bat. Tim had never done anything to Jason and Jason had sent him to the hospital. That was something a villain would do. Jason, despite what the others might claim, never classified himself as a villain. This was something he had to make right. He snatched his helmet from the floor. That's when the apartment wall exploded behind him.

Jason landed on his kitchen table, which collapsed under his weight. "Grrrr," he grunted spitting blood. The groan didn't meet his ears. All he could hear was ringing. Dazed and confused he rolled on to his back with an effort. The stars winked down at him…he could have sworn there had been a ceiling there a minute ago his concussed brain processed slowly. Now, this is why he wore the helmet. If he had been wearing it, his brain would be less liquefied. Safety first kids, well, he also had it laced with C—4 and a self-destruct button but that was besides the point.

Focus, he dragged his gaze to the movement of a shadowy figure that approached his new skylight. Jason finger groped for his holster but fine motor skills had abandoned him. The room seemed to be shrinking growing dark around the edges as his vison faded. _No. Not again!_ _He refused to die the same way twice!_ With an incredible show of will Jason got to his feet, arm extended with his 45 caliber. He swayed but most men in his condition would not be conscious must less standing.

"Jaybird is awake. But we might have knocked some of his feather off. Did you mean to use so much explosive" the voice was a woman's. The ringing was fading and Jason realized two things. Somehow she knew his nickname and she wasn't alone. They must be the ones who had taken Tim anger flared giving him a burst of strength. Jason pulled the trigger just as a foot connected with his hand shattering it from behind.

MockingBird finished his roundhouse kick with an elbow to Jason ribs that had already been damaged by the explosion doubling the taller man over. Already dizzy and in pain it was a simple matter for Mockingjay to kick Jason legs out from under him and place a booted heel on his throat. # ^&! thought Jason, the man was skilled.

"After the last time I fought he disserves a little beat down," hissed Mockingjay who wasn't even breathing hard.

"You call this a little beat down?" asked the woman staking over a little closer.

"He tried to kill me. Let me have this moment before we continue the plan." The women head cocked to one side like she had heard something.

"He is here," she hissed. Jason didn't think his night could get any worse. He was wrong. The universe had decided to humiliate him then kill him. The bluebird fell from the heavens landing in a crouch escrima sticks in hand.


	10. Chapter 10

"Let him go," growled Nightwing. Fear mixed with anger boiled inside him suffocating his normal happy self. He was too late for Tim he couldn't be too late for Jason…but Jason lay unmoving. Jason wasn't one to stay down if he could fight or if he was dead for that matter.

"Take him, I've got pretty bird," cooed the woman. _Why is he always pretty bird? Why not me?_ thought Jason halfheartedly his thoughts fading in and out of coherence. Jay gasped as the pressure was released from his windpipe. A hand dragged him from the back of his jacket. This attacker must be very fit if he could move a man of Jason build with so little effort. Standing Jason would be a good head taller than his attacker.

Nightwing took a step towards Mockingbird and Jason but found himself block by the woman. She sashayed toward the gray son of Gotham. A grin spread beneath her white leather mask. She was going to have fun with the pretty bird, not that any of his birds were ugly. If she didn't know better she would say Bruce's superpower was finding hot young orphans and turning them into the ultimate bad boy bachelors. Nightwing leapt into the air arms spread as he tried to get to Mockingbird. A clawed hand snapped out pulling the bird out of the air. Using her own momentum in combination with his, she sent the pair out the window.

Jason heard the sound of breaking glass and was just in time to watch Dick and the woman disappear into the night. The jagged glass was tinted red against the pale moon. _If we survive this golden bird we are going to have a serious talk about the pro and cons of extra armor vs flexibility and ab visibility._

Nightwing plummeted toward the pavement, tucking into a ball as he summersaulted. Once, twice…the ground was a few seconds away, thrice at this point any sane superhero would shoot out a jumpline. But Nightwing was no ordinary hero. He completed his signature quadruple flip landing lightly on his feet. He had been the first who had chosen and raised as a hero. He had been the model for a whole generation of young heroes. He had emerged from Batman's suffocating shadow as a hero in his own respect. He had been fighting crime before most of the member of the Justice League in fact he had been fighting crime before the formation of the League. But he had been doing this long enough to know he wasn't invulnerable and even the least trained street thug under the right circumstances could get a luck shot.

The woman in the cat suit twisted sideways in midair landing on her feet. Her clawed hands unclipped the bullwhip on her belt. The whip broke the sound barrier with a snap. A front hand spring saved Nightwing as he lunched himself at her with both feet. Just as quickly she ducked his attack sending a pointed heel at his face. He caught her ankle in one fist stopping it dead inches from his face. Titanium claws slashed across his chest drawing warm blood which stained the blue bird crimson. But the wounds where artificial but it was this fact that caught Nightwing by surprise allowing the blow to land. He had been preparing for a deadly blow to his throat not the cat scratches that were painful not nearly crippling. A horrible thought struck him as he caught her remaining foot with his left hand he pinned her to the dirty ally's pavement. _Mockingbird had inside information about the family. He had to have a source, to know Red Hood's relationship to Batman, how he had died, and to take out Red Robin at the strong hold that was titan tower_.

"Game's over, I know who you are," spat Nightwing pressing a bit harder than necessary to keep the woman pinned. "When Batman finds out you had a hand in Red Robin's— he going to self-destruct. He will bring you down with him. He loved you."

"What gave me away, Pretty Bird?" said the woman. She wheezed slightly at the lack of oxygen but there wasn't any fear or anger in her voice only regret, which pissed Dick off more. "Was it the kitty cat ears? Come on how much more obvious could I have made it honey?" He tugged off her mask to revel full red lips and emerald eyes ringed with long dark lashes.

"Selina," hissed Nightwing spitting the name as if it were a curse.

"Careful, You are sounding more like your mentor honey," said Selina. Dick knew she didn't mean it as a compliment. _Now what? He caught Catwoman what now?_ He couldn't just tie her up. She would be gone the moment he left to track down Jason. _What would Batman do in his situation? Probably kiss her and have some weird romantic fling with the villain. Eww, nope that not going to work,_ he thought. _Jason? It was fifty fifty between beating her to a pulp and the first option. Double ewww_. … _Tim he would have been 10 steps ahead most likely with at least two alternative ways of blackmail_. _Damian?_ _Well, Dick didn't thick decapitation would get him any answers and he wasn't about to start following the logic of a twelve year old assassin._ So he did what Nightwing would do… he pressed the communicator in this ear until he heard a click.

"Hey, how fast can you get to Gotham to do me a favor?" He could almost hear Wally smirk at the challenge.


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning: Violence and character death**

Jason was having a bad night which is saying something for someone whose bad nights included being tortured, blow-up, and digging himself out of his grave. Leather scraped across concrete as Mockingbird dragged Jason across the ground by the back of his collar. He must have blacked out at some point because he didn't know where the villain had taken him. The difference between having his eyes open and closed was minimal since the lighting was so bad and when his eyes were closed at least everything didn't come in triplets. His bat training was the only thing keeping him conscious. The painful tugging at the burns on his left thigh sudden stopped as his forward motion creased. Blinking hard Jason tried to find his captor in the dark. _What did they do to Dick?_ _Mockingbird was dangerous if he could drag on one of the batclan out from under the protective wings of the prince of Gotham_. It was a feat few villains such as: Joker, Hush, Deathstroke, Bane were either clever or insane enough to attempt. A feathered mask popped up inches from Jason own. Jason would have spat in his face if he was sure gravity wouldn't win that fight. Pressure on his collarbone told Jay the villain was holding him down making Jay's whole body tense in fear. He redoubled the effort to lift anything. To fight back, but his body refused to respond. He started to hyperventilate. The pressure on his chest morphed from a hand to pounds of dirt he couldn't breathe he was going to suffocate. A crazy was going to torture and murder him and Dick was going to have bury a second brother a second time in as many weeks. Jason braced himself for the torture to begin for the cold bite of steel or the lack of air as the fingers moved up to his neck. But what the finger did was far worse they slipped expertly under the collar of his armor deactivating the security system that would deliver an electric shook if someone tried to remove it by force _. How? Only a hand full of people on the planet new how to deactivate a bat suit and even fewer an individual bat._ Teal eyes flash emerald filling with terror and determination up at the completely masked face above promising defiance until the end. Cool air met skin as his collar was pulled back to expose his neck.

"Sorry, about this but we are going to have a visitor and I can't have you connecting the dots yet." Jason caught a glimpse of the metal syringe before the prick of the needle bit into his neck. The funny thing was, if he did know better, Jason would have said the tone was sincere but the liquid felt like ice in his vain. Now he was truly hyperventilating and his heart was beating too fast. He needed to calm himself to slow the spread but easier said than done.

"Apprentice!" the angry voice sent a shiver through Jason body. Suddenly, Jason was 12 again wearing a little yellow cape and green pixy boots and the form of Mockingbird morphed into a white mask with a bloody 'x' across the face. "Concentrated fear toxin, Master," Red X replied not moving from Jason side. Things seemed to snap into place as the one white eye in the black and orange mask swam into view. _Red X…no that wasn't right_. Blinking hard, Jason tried to focus, as the world swirled around him. Mockingbird was Deathstoke new apprentice. Jason had been Robin when Slade had kidnapped Dick and forced him to be his apprentice, Red X. He was eventually freed but he had been traumatized after it and wouldn't speak about the incident. _Get ahold of yourself Todd,_ _it not real, he not Dick it's the fear toxin. You can't trust your eyes._

"You thought you could replace me? Some street rat, with no training, replacing a world class acrobat?" Sneered Red X standing as his master stepped closer. _Ok, ears, can't trust those either. Dick was Nightwing he hadn't been Red X for years and as for Dick being better than him…water is wet what else is new? Dick had been flying long before many of the Justice League. That doesn't mean Jason can't still kick butt._ Slade's steel toed boot collided with Jason side causing a groan of pain. Manic laughter filled Jason head alongside the pain and for a moment the black and orange morphed into white, green and a crimson smile.

"What is the meaning of this?" hissed Slade turning from the downed bat to his apprentice. "I expressly ordered you to stay out of Gotham and away from the Bats?" The tone of Slade's voice is so strange that it broke through Jason's nightmares. It's confusion, like Slade has no clue why his apprentice would attack the bats without orders. It has Jason second guessing, who was really the one in control? The same though seem to cross Slade's mind because he absently taps his katana at this side.

"It is part of the plan," says Mockingbird calmly "he will be an excellent distraction. Jason has regained enough strength to try inching away dragging himself across the heat extracting concrete. But Slade doesn't give him a chance stepping on the back of Jason calf causing him to cry out in pain.

"A poor excuse for a distraction, as you well know, this is the one that the bats care for the least," growled Slade shifting more weight onto Jason causing him to hiss in pain.

"I disagree." Mockingbird step over to stand behind his mentor's right shoulder and his captive. "The distraction seems to be working rather well." A splatter of wet drops struck Jason as one of Slade own swords skewered him from behind. Deathstroke fell like a sack of potatoes, hitting the floor. _Let me be hallucinating_ prayed Jason. Unlike Bruce, he could care less if Deathstroke had been killed honestly if he had been given the chance he would have done it himself, however, with how drugged Jason was, stuck in a room with a murder, clever enough to kill the master assassin, the odds of him surviving were slim.

"Tell Batman, he has two days before another birdy dies." The figure morphed in front of him. The cowl disappeared replaced with Red Robin covered in blood. "Happy, now Jay? Your replacement died? Are you going to let another one die?"

"Tim—" moaned Jason "I'm sorry. So sorry." His vison was going dark. He let his eyelids slide closed. His wounds no longer burned but it was not a lack of pain but a worrying numbness.

He missed the curious head tilt Mockingbird gave the wounded vigilante. "Don't worry, Jaybird, I will come for you last." That was the last thing Jason remembered.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for the stupid dotted lines. I can't figure out how to delete them. They will be less of them in the coming chapters. Also do you have any guesses on the plot? I would love to hear what you think?**

A shadow darker than the rest emerged from it brethren on the warehouse roof blocking Mockingbird escape path. The great black cape flapped in the October breeze like large wings. Framed against the moonlight the shadow was devoid of light besides the glint of the white lenses.

"Where's Hood?" growled the Bat his voice sounded as if he was gargling gravel. At 6' 6" and 300lbs of pure muscle the Bat stood over most men but he completely dwarfed Mockingbird who only reached his shoulder and if it was possible was even skinner then Nightwing. So when the Dark Knight strode forward he had expected the villain to cower or at least take a step back. Even the man of steel would have taken a step back when Bruce was in one of his vengeance moods. Mockingbird didn't budge, lifting his chin in defiance. The moonlight gleamed off the brown and red feathers that crowned his cowl — robin feathers.

"For the World's Greatest Detective you are missing the point."

"And what the point?" hissed the Bat, delivering a punch with each word.

"Nightwing got the point. He where he's meant to be." Bruce veins ran cold. He had sent Nightwing to free Hood, while he dealt with Mockingbird. But the villain knew, and now two of his remaining birds were in danger.

"The warehouse will blow in 4 minutes I suggest you get the point fast. Before history repeats itself."


	13. Chapter 13

Damian slunk through the night smog of Crime Ally. The air smelled foul, of piss and smoke. Crumbled up newspapers littered the pavement amongst other trash. The yellow caped and red breasted hero was the only spot of color. Grayson had shared the dark history of the place so he was well aware that his grandparents had bled to death here, however, he wasn't some helpless doctor. He had been trained by the best. The way the darkness seemed to swirl and clutch at the occupants of the ally had Damian wishing he had argued harder for his katanas.

"Show yourself," demanded the little prince but only the sound of far off traffic broke the silence. He padded up to the address on the note. It was unassuming run down theater. Dust had settled on the smashed glass that had once been a window. Taped to the door shifting in the drifting air was a piece of _paper_ far too white and clean to have been long in the alley. _Mockingbird must be a metahuman or working with one to have left the note in the manor. No one could have snuck in the manor without notice much less Drake room._ A green glove tore the note from the rotten wood.

Robin,

Pass the test and your Dad will be safe.

The note wasn't signed but a rusty feather punctured the paper. _A robin feather_ , _it's a threat_. _What test? It doesn't matter for I will win, since it is Robin duty to protect Batman and a son duty to fight for his father._ He sprinted back the way he had come leaping onto his bike and revering the engine. He had to get to his father fast. The smell of burnt tire was all that remained.

Damian didn't wait for the bike to come to a complete stop before leaping from the moving vehicle a batarang in each gloved fist. He had been right. _There was an intruder in his Father's cave!_ A small combat connected square in the back of the tall man who stood in front of Batman. What Robin had not expected was for the intruder to promptly topple over at the blow and for Batman to catch him from hitting the floor.

"Robin!" Batman growled anger filled his tone.

"This pretender doesn't belong in the cave father," grumbled Damian but didn't lash out again.

"Aah but Damian, I thought you had joined the DMR club," sneered Todd pushing sharply away from father as if the man's arms burned him.

"DMR?" hissed Damian failing to hold back his traitorous curiosity.

"Yeah, you know the Dead Murderous Robin club," smirked Jason as Damian sprang again but Father humiliated him by snagging his cape before he could tear out Todd's throat. A small voice, in his head, that sounded like Drake, reminded him that he wasn't helping his case. "That right, tell your attack dog to heel," baited Jason. Damian swallowed the growl and turned to look up at Father. The Bat dwarfed the little Robin who had to peer nearly straight up.

"Father, I suspect Mockingbird has placed a threat upon your life." He handed Batman the note he had found before continuing. "I rode back swiftly but—" he glanced meaningfully in Todd's direction. "you were obviously not in immediate danger from anything greater than being bored to death by Todd's presents." Batman frowned at the note, with the feather, ignoring the jabs of his sons.

"Run analysis on it." Handing the note back to his youngest he strode toward the vehicle bay. "I'm going to check some leads who could know the information Mockingbird seems to possess." Damian dropped the note on a side table in front of Hood before doubling his pace to catch up with his Father.

"I demand to come with you. Someone is hunting you I must be there to guard your back. Todd may be inferior but he can handle basic task like sample analysis." Jason made an Alfred unapproved hand gesture behind the kid's back but picked up the letter out of curiosity.

"You're losing your edge. I thought I was talking to the greatest detective, my mistake, morons," said Jason closing his eyes as if asking for patients to deal with the Waynes. Bruce and Damian turned on him, one with an expression as cold as stone the other as fierce as fire.

"Todd, there is no clue, but you wouldn't know that since you've never found them by yourself." Jason's eyes boiled green, which made Bruce's eyes go wide under his cowl. _Had he miss something important about Jason condition?_ His second son took a furious step forward toward Damian. Bruce quickly but a shoulder between them less there be bloodshed.

"You don't get it you little runt since blood has been the only thing you have ever cared about. Bruce Wayne's heir, Prince of the League of Assassin, Demon Head's Successor: all by blood."

"Well, forgive me for coming from nobler blood than the common street trash like you Todd. I am Batman true partner I was born for the post you were merely a place holder. A replacement." It was like watching a confrontation between a Siberian husky and a pug as the two snared and spat insults.

"This villain obviously knows us very well. He knows how I died. He knows how to access the batcomputer. He knows Bruce Wayne is Batman. And I am willing to bet he knows your ridiculous tendency to call Bruce, Father, like a little posh princeling. So why in the world would he write Dad on this note? Unless he was testing you to see if you could learn the one lesson you have failed at since you got here? That family is more than blood. And that is why you have failed the test."

"So what's your point Todd? I am still Batman rightful partner by blood. I don't see how your ranting is giving us a clue of anything but how crazy you are." Bruce on the other hand had finally seen what Jason was getting at and had paled.

"Are you #$%#! Sure about that brat. Is he—" Jason jabbed a finger in Bruce's direction "your true partner or your Dad? Was he the one to raise you? Where that danger Mockingbird promised? Huh. Don't see any do you? On a completely unrelated topic has anyone checked on Nightwing lately?"

Damian opened his mouth to argue but then closed it and opened again speechless. He had gone to save the wrong mentor. He had done the unthinkable he had failed the one person who had tried to give him a childhood. The first person teach him there was more to life than hatred and death. The first person to truly love him, for who he was not for what he was born for. He had fail Grayson.


	14. Chapter 14

When Jason had asked the universe to witness Batman in a killer rage at Arkham over a death of a Robin, he hadn't been expecting the dead bird to be the replacement or the criminal to be Catwoman. This just goes to show that Jason should stop asking the universe for anything. He pulled his leather jacket tighter around him. The place gave him the creeps. When they had passed the Joker's cell he had turned on the sound dampers in his helmet to block out the crazed laughter from causing a panic attack. Even just the sight of the clown had caused his chest to constrict painfully. He would have to reconsider Starfire offer to scorch the place from the face of the earth when he got back _. If he could just get all the staff out at once…_ He had finally made it to Selina's cell without killing anyone mostly because he would find himself on the other side of the bars than any moral inhibition.

Selina was a gorgeous woman and she knew it. She managed to lounge on the metal bench in the cell, somehow making her orange jumpsuit look sexy; however, if Jason was being honest his 'mother figure' was looking under the weather. Her makeup had been washed off revealing the dark circles under her eyes.

"Where is he," growled the Batman looming over the only woman who had ever cracked the shadows. Making the betrayal that much more painful. Selina had never been one to cower. Standing, chin held high she glared back.

"I thought you were a detective," she hissed. Hood shifted his weight uneasily at rehearing the comment he had made merely hours earlier. "What is Mockingbird's name? Darling, there are so many clues," she spat. From his spot leaning against the damp stone wall Jason was suddenly reminded of how his parents used to fight when he was young. He quickly banished the thought. _For one they weren't his parents. Two they were in an asylum. Three they weren't his parents. But, said a small voice in his head, were they any worse than his actual parents?_ Peter Todd had been a wife and child beater Bruce had been his mentor taking him off the streets. His mother had overdosed leaving her child to fend for himself on the streets Selina would never admit it but over the years she had saved his life more than once. _Stop. Stop. Stop._ He forced his mind back to the conversation.

"He took Nightwing and murdered Red Robin. Where is Mockingbird?" growled the Dark Knight once again. He step forward menacingly but Selina refused to back up so there was barely an inch between the two. Selina remained stubbornly silent and Bruce looked like he might hit her. For a moment Jason tensed ready to _… to do what?_ But the answer was as clear as day although the logic was iffy the emotions were strong. _If that blow were to fly, he would take the hit, just like he had so many years ago._ Then he would fight back not that he would have any better chances of winning this time around. But the blow never came, instead Selina simply sighed.

"Mockingbird is waiting for you with Nightwing at West Wayne Tower," Batman's dark cape swirled around him as he spun on his heel to leave. "But," continued Selina. Bruce paused but didn't turn around. "If you wish to save all your sons find his friends at the other tower first." Robin sprang at the cat.

"What is that supposed to mean? What else do you know?" said the brat followed by whole string of inappropriate insults for a woman that a twelve year old shouldn't know. Damian had never had the bond with Catwoman that the rest of the Robins had. After all, the woman was an insult to his mother. Jason didn't budge since the cat could easy eat the little bird.

"Robin!" commanded Batman. "Leave her. The plane is outside we are going after Nightwing." It was probably the only command that would cause Damian to drop the battle. With a backward glare Robin followed Batman out of the cell.

Selina raised one delicate black eyebrow at Jason when the other bats had left.

"I don't believe it," said Jason crossing his arms across his chest.

"Don't believe what, honey?" There was no malice in her voice only curiosity.

"You would never turn on us. You're a thief not hired muscle. You'd never harm one of us."

"You're one to talk honey. Anyone can trade sides for the right reasons."

"Not you. I may not be good detective but I can read people. You've a good heart. So something else is going on?" Selina looked away so that most of her face was hidden in shadow but Jason could have sworn that he saw the corner of her lips twitch up.

"Jay, you were never the one to make the same mistakes as your mentor. So do the thing your Batman would never do: find the friends go to the Tower."

 _What Tower?_ he opened his mouth to ask then closed it. This whole case had been about Robins. There had only ever been one tower. Only one tower where a robin could find friends.

"I think you are more of a detective than you give yourself credit for honey. After all, a detective should examine the scene of the crime. And before you ask I can't give you anymore answers."

"Can't or won't?" challenged Jason. Selina just gave him a look that was anything but innocent but as he said before he trusted Selina, whether that made him a fool he didn't know. Jason pushed himself off the wall and made to leave but paused in the door way.

"Will you be ok here?"

"Honey, I'll be out by midnight." Jason grinned under his mask.


	15. Chapter 15

Three hours earlier:

Bruce had specifically ordered Robin and Nightwing to stand down for the night. Naturally, Nightwing now stood upside down, blood rushing to his head, on the edge of a rooftop. He traced the stars with his toes. He could focus on damage, dirt and horror until he turned in to his mentor. He could focus on his brother's death, Mockingbird's threats, and Jason's close call. Closing his eyes, he felt the breeze flow through his vertical hair. But if he had focused on the horror and evil of Gotham all these years he would succumbed to the insanity of Gotham. There was a reason there was a Robin and not a Batboy. His Robin had meant to be the light to Batman's shadow. So he let the grin spread after all he _had saved Jay and now Jay was home!_ But the light flickered and the smile grew forced, as Tim face replace Jay in his mind's eye. Warm rain fell on the Gotham roof. He had failed another brother. Shifting all his weight onto his right arm, completing a one handed handstand to wipe the tears. Taking a deep breath he reminded himself he had to pull himself together before finishing the patrol. Without Tim he would be the stable family member responsible for the rest. So he forced his royal blue gaze back to the city that he had claimed. Making the same promise to Tim he had to his parents: he would bring his murder to justice and protect the innocent, in the hope that his pain could be spared from others.

Something small and bright caught his eye seeming very out of place on the dirty asphalt roof top. Quickly dropping to his feet, he lean down to exam it. He was positive it hadn't been there when he had closed his eyes. _But he hadn't heard anything?_ It was small no bigger than a cheerio. Actual it was a mini cereal marshmallow in the shape of an elephant. He had recognized it almost immediately. He had eaten it often in fact it had been the cereal that had gotten him hooked. It had been the first Christmas at the manor. Bruce being Bruce had forgotten having not celebrated since his parents had died. Bruce, trying to salvage the day, had tried to buy something that day, to give his new ward, but everything had been closed even to the billionaire. Not that Dick had felt like celebrating that year. Bruce in desperation had gone to a gas station and bought everything that had a sugar content more than 90%. Alfred had been horrified until he saw the small grin that graced the little orphans as the billionaire and the gas station food tumbled in from the snow. The little sugar elephant was not alone another little elephant sat two feet away and another a few feet after that. It is a trail of bread crumbs. It occurred to him that maybe following the trail was proving Jason's point that all you needed to catch a Nightwing was sugar and red heads and calling for back up might be smart but Nightwing had always been the happy go lucky Robin(it is a wonder he had been the only one to survive to his twenties without bring brought back). His sugar trail leapt across an easy roof gap and resurfaced on the other side. He lost it a few times in the darkness of the night but always found it again. After he had been following for about twenty minutes the sugar trail stopped and was replaced by a thin green slug trail? He pinched the slug between his thumb and forefinger to exam it. _No it couldn't be!_ He had been wrong it was a pickled green bean. _Who could have known?_ His blood ran cold. The list of suspects decreased dramatically. Selina couldn't be the only source not, for this story. Mockingbird was toying with them.

It had been Jason's first Christmas at the manor. Let just say Dick had not been thrilled to be a big brother at first. So he had snuck down and replaced all of Jason's toys with cans of green beans (Dick's least favorite vegetable) in his defense after seeing the horror on Jay face the next morning, he had planned to give the toys back. Bruce would have forced him to anyway. That wasn't what happened. No, what happened the next morning was a surprise to everyone. Jay had sprung from his bed rushed to the fire place and yelled, in joy. Declaring it the best Christmas ever: a whole stocking worth of canned food for a street rat? Why would he be upset about that? It had made Dick feel terrible about the way he had acted and he had returned all Jay's gift at once. Yes, he realized he was the Grinch in that story.

He started to hurry after that, just giving a brief scan of the rooftop every once and awhile for traps as he jogged long the trail. If he was right about the theory the next thing would be… superman t-shirts. He had been partly right the first thing on the trail was a single black t-shirt with a red S symbol followed by the symbol on little rubber key chains. _Something bothered him about the shirt? Why only one? Then chance the pattern? Was the man who had laid the trail short on funds?_ If it was Mockingbird that seemed unlikely judging by the gear he possessed.

Nightwing knelt by the clothing fingering the fabric as he thought back to the day he had given it to Tim. It had been a joke. At the time Tim was in his few but stubborn fights with Bruce so Dick, naturally, had given Tim the one gift that would piss Bruce off the most. Tim had taken the gift. Dick was disappointed that his brother had not opened it in front of him but shrugged it off at the time. It was their first Christmas together and he hadn't known Tim very well at the time. Later that week Dick asked Tim how he liked his gift. Tim's eyes widened as through a thought had just dawned on him. _That was for me?_ He had asked. It turned out little Timmy had never received a gift from a friend and assumed that the box was some sort of case evidence and placed it in the crime lab in the batcave.

If Mockingbird wasn't hard up for funds why only one shirt? A dark coffee stain adorned the its hem answering the question; because it is the original. _How had Mockingbird gotten to Tim's stuff in the manor?_

Nightwing sped through the night. A half hour later he arrived at Wayne West Tower. The trail ended with another Christmas gift nailed to the roof top door with a katana. It was a stuffed Batman that had seen better days. Let's just say the poor stuffed animal had met the katana before and the sticking around the head was not the original. Nightwing carefully removed the weapon and clipped the toy to his utility belt. Damian would be happy to see it again even if he would die before every admitting it(and that wasn't much of an exaggeration). Then the Gray son of Gotham disappeared down the stair case.

 **Any guess on who Mockingbird is? He isn't an OC. Reviews=Happiness**


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